Speed-indicator.



No.' 630,299. Patented Aug. l, :399.

w. Muon.

SPEED INDICATOR.

(Application led Mar. $1, 1898.) (No Model.)

w: Nonms vsrsns co.. Pnoommo., WASHINGTON. n. c

UNITED STATES i A,PATENT OEEIGE.

W'ARREN MOON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE MCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPEED-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,299, dated .August 1, 1899. l

`Application led March 31, 1898.` Serial No. 675,884` (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WARREN MOON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of indicators that are used for the purpose of indi- 1o eating the speed at Whicha shaft is rotating as contradistinguished from the class of indicators that indicate the number of rotations or revolutions that a shaft is making per minute. Y

I 5 The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efficientV speedindicator; and the invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

zo In the accompanying drawings, Figure Lisf In the artV to, which this, invention relates it is well known that it is desirable for the 3 5 rider of a velocipede or the operator of a highspeed machine-such as silk machinery, dac. to be kept informed as to the comparative speed at which the machineis running at all times and not wait untilrthe machine has attained a certain speed before he is informed. The principal object of my4 invention, therefore, is to provide a machine which will accomplish these results.

In constructinga machine or instrument in accordance with my improvements Imake a main casing A of the desired size, shape, and strength to inclose and hold the operative and other mechanisms in place and at the same time'protect them from dirt and 5o foreign substances. Inside of this main case I make what I term a rotatable cylinder B,

and Fig. 4, an enlarged sectional elevationk `whichhas its journal b in the main casing, and preferably arrange the rotatable cylinder in an inclosed chamber b. This cylinder B is what might be termed a retarding-cylinder, in which material is kept for the purpose of developing centrifugal force and acting with a retarding effect, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. This retardingcylinder is preferably provided with a bev- I6o Ieled pinion C, which may be engaged with a driving-gear C', placed on a rotating shaft or hubof a bicycle-wheel, as may seem necessary, and which when the machine is in motion gives a rotary movement to the retarding-cylinder.

f To indicate the speed at which the machine `is running, an indicating-staif D is provided,

having its body portion cl located within the retarding-cylinder and its upper portion pro- 7o jecting therethrough and provided with an indicating-hand d', arranged above a dial E. This indicating-staff is loosely or independently mounted in the rotatable retarding-cylinder, so that such cylinder may have independent rotations. In order to hold the indicating-hand at zero or a normal point, a spiral tension-spring G is provided, which has one end secured to the indicating-staff and the other t0 aspring-stud g, fixed to some portion 8o of the case and in whichfthe spring may be adj ustably secured for the purpose of obtaining the desired tension. In order to operate this engaging hand when the retarding-cylinder is under motion, a retardingdisk orplate 8 5 H is provided and rigidly secured or fixed in any desired way to theindicating-staff inside of the retarding-cylinder, so that a body of liquid h-may have its effec-t thereon.

In the figures of the drawings I have shown 9o the material located inside of the retardingcylinder as being a liquid;l but it will be understood that it is not necessary to use a liquid, for4 the reason that comminuted particles of solids may be used-such as graphite,- plumbago, small shot, and the like-all4 of which Will be more fully hereinafter explained.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings I have shown one form in Which my invention may be embodied, in which a cross-section of the retardingroo cylinder resembles a rectangle'. This form is preferable when comminuted particles of solid order to overcome the expansion and contraction of the materials, evaporation of liquids,`

&c. due to rising and falling temperatures, to provide for'the use of mercury onquicksi'lver;

use it in as small a space as possible for the purposes of economy.

In Fig. 4 I have showna modified form of my instrument which resembles in all respects the instrument shown in Fig. 2, with the exception that the retarding-cylinder I is enlarged at the central portion t', so as to form what might be termed an expansion-chamber, having a contracted channel or groove 'i' at the peripheral portion.

In operation rotation is imparted from the shaft to the retarding-cylinder, which immediatelv develops centrifugal force and carries the liquid, comminuted particles, or other materials to the outer peripheral point,where it is in a measure compressed on the periphery of the retarding-disk or, in other words, clamps the retarding-disk between it under pressure. This action has a. tendency to rotate'the indicating-staff and carry the indicating-hand around on the dial until it is counterbalanced by the tension-spring, and thus indicates at about what speed the shaft is running. It will lthus be seen that when my vinstrument is in operation there are two forces at work-first, a centrifugal force on the liquid or materials, and, second, a frictional force on the retarding disk or plate. In Fig. 4 when the mercury is used it will be seen that the'body of it iills the expansionchamber at or near the center of the retarding-cylinder, so that when centrifugal force is developed it 'forces out the fluid into the narrow annular channel to have a retarding effect on the retarding disk or plate.

The principal advantage incident-to the use of anY instrument constructed inV accordance with myy improvement is that it will begin to indicate at very low speeds-from about five revolutions up to several thousand'.

While I have described my invention with more or less minuteness as regards details of construction and operation and as being embodied in certain precise forms, I do not desire to be limited thereto Aunduly anymore than is pointed out in the claims.

contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction, and arrangement, the 1 omission of immaterial elements, and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or necessity render expedient.

I claim- 1;. Inan instrument of the class described,

Onl the the combination of a rotatable cylinder, and a staff independently mounted in su'clrcylinder, means for developing centrifugal and frictional force between the sta and the rotatable cylinder during the rotations ofthe Y cylinder, substantially as described. but as this material is expensive' when compared with other materials it is desirable to 2. InV an'instrumen-t of the class described, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a staff independently mounted in such cylinder,

a' disk secured to such staff and Within the rotatable cylinder, and means for developing centrifugal and frictional force between the z disk andthe rotatable cylinder during the rotations of the cylinder, and tension mechanism secured to the indicating-stati to compensate and gradually overcome the frictional force of the sta, substantially as described.

3. I-n an instrument of the class described, the combination' of a rotatable cylinder, a

stai independently mounted in such cylinder, la disk secured to suchv staff and-within the rotatable cylinder, means for developing centrifu gal and frictional force between the disk `and the rotatable cylinder during the rotations of the cylinder, an indicating-hand on such staian inclosing frame or case, and a spiral spring secured to the stai and to the frame or case to gradually overcome the fric- 'tional force, substantially as described.

4. In an instrument of the class described, the combinationy of a rotatable cylinder,a

` statt independently mounted in such cylinder,

a disk secured to such staff and within the rotatable cylinder, aI uid body in such rotatable cylinder adapted'whenthe cylinder is rotating to be subjected to centrifugal force i and frictionally engage the diaphragm or disk )on the indicatingstaff, any inclosing case for such rotating cylinder, an indicating-hand on the staff, anda` spiral spring connected withv the staff and with the frame or case to gradually overcome the developed frictional force, substantially as described.

5. In anY instrument of the class described,

`,the combination of aV rotatable cylinder, a "staffindependently mounted in such' cylinder, a disk secured to such sta-ff and within the rotatable cylinder, a body of mercury in such rotatable cylinder adapted when the-cylinder .is rotating to bel subjected to centrifugal force a-nd'frictionally engage the diaphragm or disk on the indicating-stai, anl inclosing case for such'rotating cylinder, an indicatinghand on the staff, and-a spi-ral spring connected with the staff` and with the frame or case to gradually overcome the developed frictional force, substantially as described. Y WARREN MOON.

Witnesses: A

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, THOMAS B. MoGRneoR.

IOO 

